Heartache
by crwatters
Summary: Mirajane coerces Erza into talking with Gray about his feelings for Juvia. However, the talk does not go as planned. Love triangles galore. One-shot.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. I just make the characters dance like marionettes.**

* * *

Heartache

It was a normal day in the guild, except for the fact that Juvia was sulking at the bar instead of stalking Gray. Mirajane noticed this and made her way down to Juvia's end of the bar, cleaning a glass.

"What's wrong Juvia?" Mirajane asked, putting down the glass she had been cleaning.

"Juvia is worried. Juvia's love is pure, but Juvia has noticed Gray-sama has not asked Juvia out yet, and Juvia has tried to make her feelings clear, as she knows Gray-sama can be a little dense. But it's been 1 year, 274 days, and 21 hours since they met. Juvia hates herself for thinking this, but Juvia wonders what Gray-sama's feelings for her are. If he's nervous, Juvia will gladly wait, but…" Juvia trailed off, looking at Mira with slightly moist eyes.

Mira looked at her and nodded, saying, "I think I understand, Juvia. I'll see what I can do. Okay? But don't worry too much. I'm certain Gray likes you. But like you said, he's very dense." Mirajane smiled slyly, and patted Juvia on the shoulder in an attempt to comfort the blue-haired mage. She picked up her glass and walked away, deep in thought.

What Mira had told Juvia was mostly true. Mira would do her best to get gray and Juvia together, or she could not proudly call herself Fairy Tail's matchmaker. She thought Gray and Juvia would make a cute couple, but she did not actually know if Gray returned Juvia's feelings. She just hoped he did. Mirajane pondered what she should do. She figured this couple might take a lot of work, and she did not want it to seem as if she was masterminding the whole thing. That might scare Gray away. She needed someone to talk to Gray about it, preferably someone who was close to him. Natsu wouldn't work, that would just turn the talk into a fight. Lucy was already considered Juvia's love rival, so that would be no good. Mira didn't know if Happy even knew what dating was, as he just kept pestering Carla with fish. That left Erza. She, however, was a little bit tougher to bribe. Mira needed to think.

* * *

The next day, when Erza walked into the guild, Mira called her over to the bar. Erza walked over and sat down, at loss for what Mira wanted her for.

"Morning, Erza. I need you to do a favor for me," Mira said. Erza immediately grew suspicious, having known Mira since childhood. She did not care to be a part of the Take-Over mage's antics. "What do you want me to do?" Erza inquired, eyes narrowed.

"Oh, I just want you to have a chat with Gray concerning Juvia. Juvia wants to know what Gray's feelings for her are, and such."

Erza shook her head. "I will not go around meddling in the love affairs of my friends."

"Please, Erza? For me? I'll make the next 5 strawberry cheesecakes you order on the house!"

Erza sighed. Mira knew her too well. "Make it ten and I'm in." Mirajane clapped her hands and squealed, pleased with herself. Erza stood up to leave, and then turned back to Mira, glaring slightly.

"Make sure you take Juvia to lunch or something. I will not become one of her 'love rivals' because I helped you out."

* * *

Around lunch time…

Once Erza saw Juvia leave the guild with a peppy Mirajane, she turned to the current brawl and started breaking it up, bashing people's heads together until they quit fighting. Gray and Natsu quickly became "best friends."

After she was satisfied that the fight was over, she strode to where Gray and Natsu were, acting chipper, as if she didn't know they started fighting whenever she had her back turned.

"Gray. I need a word." Gray paled. "W-what? Um, I mean yes ma'am!" He quickly changed whatever he was about to say into a hearty agreement when Erza glared at him. Nonetheless, Erza grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to a table. She ordered him to put his clothes back on and take a seat. Gulping, Gray complied.

After a long silence in which Erza was wondering how to approach the subject and Gray, getting more nervous by the second, was wondering what he did wrong, Erza sighed and bluntly stated, "You know, Juvia likes you."

Gray's eyes widened, for whatever he expected to come out of Titania's mouth, it was not this. "Yeah… she makes it kind of obvious…" Erza nodded, excepting his answer, before asking a question. "Then why haven't you done anything about it?"

"Well, I don't like her back, but more importantly, I don't want to break her heart, because I know the position she's in." Gray looked away, his cheeks reddening slightly.

Erza raised an eyebrow, and curiosity over took her. "You like someone?"

"Yeah, but I'm almost positive he doesn't like me back." Gray refused to meet Erza's eyes, unsure of what was going on, of why she was asking these questions.

"Who?" Erza asked, pressing for answers. She was no longer working on Mira's orders. She was interrogating Gray to sate her curiosity.

Gray didn't answer right away, so she repeated, slightly louder, "WHO?"

It was then that she noticed Gray was watching Natsu try to pester Laxus into fighting him. When she noticed this, she almost missed Gray's quiet voice that said, "…Natsu."

To say she was shocked would be an understatement. She had spent so much of her time breaking up their fights she couldn't comprehend the thought of Gray crushing on Natsu. She was about to say as much when Gray turned and glared at her. "I swear, if you tell him, I'll…" Gray quit in the middle of his threat, suddenly remembering who he was talking to.

"You'll what?" Erza narrowed her eyes.

"N-nothing. Nothing, ma'am." Gray shook a little, nervous. He couldn't believe he'd tried to threaten ERZA. He hoped she wouldn't punish him TOO severely. He couldn't stand another day cleaning her armor.

Erza blinked, then looked away and sighed. "Don't worry, I won't tell him. I know firsthand how complicated love can be," she said, thinking of a certain tattooed, blue-haired mage.

Relief washed over Gray. "Thanks. As long he doesn't know, I can image he doesn't really have any feelings for Lucy and likes me instead." Gray knew he was being selfish, but at the same time he wanted Natsu to be happy.

"He likes Lucy? I suppose it makes sense." Erza pondered this, thinking of all the time Natsu spent with Lucy.

"He does, but he doesn't know it yet. That flamehead's so dense he wouldn't know love if it poked him in the eye." Gray knew Natsu inside and out, probably better than the Dragonslayer knew himself.

Erza conceded this point. Natsu was dense. "Unfortunately, Lucy's almost as dense as he is." What had she gotten herself into? Why was she meddling so much? Mira had better cut her cheesecake slices extra large. Erza sighed, knowing she'd see this out to its bitter end, as she always tried to finish what she'd started. Damn Mirajane.

Gray nodded, lost in thought, watching Natsu beat up Gajeel. That flaming idiot was so sexy when he fought. Gray would never admit it, but that was part of the reason he picked fights with Natsu all the time.

Erza stood up, catching Gray's attention. "Good talk. Now, when Juvia comes in later, ask her out to dinner." At this, Gray blanched. Had Erza not heard a single word he'd said? Erza continued, "and when you let her down, do it NICELY, or else." Gray was equal parts relief and terror at those words. Relief that she was not going to make him date Juvia, and terror at the unsaid implications of her threat.

"Um… okay." Gray was not thrilled with this outcome. But no one defied Titania.

Right before Erza left, she said, " GRAY, put on your clothes!"

"Oi! When did that happen?!" Gray looked down at his nude self and started looking for his clothes. (He had started stripping as he watched Natsu fight, but no one needed to know that)

* * *

When Erza told Mira about her discussion with Gray, Mirajane was only mildly surprised.

"I didn't know Gray could be so mushy. It's so cute!" She giggled, and immediately began plotting what her next step should be. "Oh, and Erza, I think I'll need your help again."

Erza groaned.

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A/N: My first one-shot is complete! Tell me what you think, and if y'all want, I can post a sequel, where Erza must explain to Natsu what romance is! Please tell me if you think characters are OOC, or if there's anything I can do to improve. Thanks!

~C.R. Watters


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